Sad I'm an Indian living in India: Actor Rohit Roy

Mumbai, Nov 21 (IANS) The atmosphere of “intolerance” and “barbaric” statements on “beheading” of filmmakers and actors has upset Rohit Roy, who says he is frustrated about being an Indian living in India.

“For the first time, I’m sad, frustrated, enraged that I’m an Indian living in india… Never thought I’d ever say that. Indeed, very sad. Jai Hind,” Rohit tweeted.

The actor posted multiple tweets commenting on the controversy over Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s “Padmavati”, which has attracted political parties and Rajput outfits to jump into a debate over alleged “distortion of historical facts” in the movie on Rajput queen Padmavati.

A BJP leader has announced a reward of Rs 10 crore for beheading Bhansali and the film’s lead actress Deepika Padukone.

Rohit said: “Today, people are offering rewards for the heads of actors/directors for a film that they haven’t seen one single frame of! The government is doing nothing to stop this abetting even! Forget creative freedom, isn’t this ‘intolerance’ scary for all Indians? Saddened,” he tweeted.

He said “India is what it is because of its diversity, sense of democracy and importantly, it’s secularism. Hinduism, a way of life, is inclusive in nature.”

“”A film is being used by some for political leverage… Does calling to behead a gentleman in any way legal, tolerable or democratic? How then are the powers that be quiet about it? No arrests, no warnings even! History cannot be distorted, no question about it. But under the garb of respecting and safeguarding your history, is it okay to write your future in blood?

“Even using the word behead is barbaric! And what’s strange is that in protecting the ‘image’ of a ‘mother’, you want to behead a daughter of the country who is merely portraying her?”

Rohit said he has always been a “proud Indian who holds our country’s history and geography in high esteem”.

“I have to say that this polarisation is going to debilitate India and bring it to its knees.”

“India and Indians have become intolerant,” he stressed, and added that “one doesn’t know what wrath of which faction one will incur while even making a statement”.